Weft-thread catcher for automatic weft-replenishing looms.



C. E. NUTTING.

WEFT THREAD CATCHER FOR-AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24. 1912.

Patented July 17, 1917.

2 SHEETSMSHEET 1.

W24 mwk Jay C. E. NUTTING. I WEFT THREAD CATCHER FOR AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS. 1 APPLICATION HLED JUNE 24. I912. L Patented July 17, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- CHARLES E. NUTTITVG, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T DRAPER CORPORATION, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

WEFT-THREAD CATCI-IER FOR AUTOMATIC WEFT-REPLENISHING LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July it, fair.

Application filed June 24., 1912. Serial No. 705,451.

State of Massachusetts, have invented a Weft-Thread Catcher for Automatic Weft- Replenishing Looms, of which the following is a specification.

In automatic weft-replenishing looms, wherein a nearly spent weftcarrier is automatically ejected from the running shuttle prior to the exhaustion of the weft, it is important to entirely withdraw the trailing weft thread of the ejected nearly spent weft carrier from the eye of the shuttle before the shuttle with the fresh weft carrier can carry the trailing end of the spent weft into the shed, the effect of which would be to weave a double strand of weft into the cloth, thus interfering with the perfect character of the cloth. The object of I the present invention is to prevent such occurrence by supplying a weft thread catcher which will catch the trailing thread of the outgoing nearly spent weft-carrier and insure the complete withdrawal of the trailing thread from the eye of the shuttle. The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a front elevation of so much of the replenishing side of a weft-replenishing feeler loom as is necessary for an understanding of the present invention. Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the weft thread catcher. Fig. 3, is a vertical section through the lay and shuttle box and spent weft-carrier-receiver. Fig. 4, is a perspective view of the preferred construction of weft thread catcher.

The present invention is particularly intended for use with a sorcalled feeler. loom I that is to say, an automatic weft-replenishonly enough of the ing loom wherein the approaching exhaustion of the running weft institutes the action of the weft-replenishing mechanism, so that the nearly spent weft-carrier is ejected and a fresh weft-carrier substituted therefor,

7 prior to the complete exhaustion of the weft.

B, is the shuttle shown as occupying the shuttle-box at the supply side of the loom,

where the weft-replenishing mechanism islocated. The automatic swinging trans fen-er C, of this weft-replenishing mechanism is shown in the position which it occun pies just after it has inserted a freshweftcarrier in the shuttle, thereby ejecting the nearly spent weft-carrier which is shown at D, in Fig. 8, at the bottom of the can or receiver E, which receives the spent weft-carriers. As shown in Fig. 3, the lay is slotted at F, in the usual manner, beneath the shuttle box so as to permit the downward escape of the spent weft-carriers.

Figs. 1 and 3, of the drawings show the trailing end T, of the nearly spent weft thread. Fig. 3, shows this thread extending from the discharged weft-carrier D, to the shuttle B, and Fig. 1, shows the trailing end F, extending through the eye G, of the shuttle and thence toward the cloth. This condition is one which occurs in practice and it often occurs that the shuttle on its next flight with the fresh weft-carrier carries the spent weft thread T, into the shed, thus weaving a double strand of weft. It is the object of the present invention to catch the trailing end T, of the spent weft and'to withdraw it from the eye of the shuttle before it can be carried by the shuttle into the shed.

To this end, the fixed stud S, on which the swinging transferrer C, turns, is provided with a downwardly projecting arm H, at its outer end which carries the stationary extended weft thread catcher I. The weft thread catcher I, extends lengthwise of the lay and parallel therewith, and

it has ,a toothed thread-engaging surface consi'stingof a large number of rows of numerous sharp teeth, which are inclined at their outer ends away from the middle of the loom. Preferably, this toothed thread catcher is composed of a strip of card clothing, such as is employed in carding engines. The thread catcher thus constituted comprises an extended area both vertically and laterally supplying numerous rows each containing numerous teeth. Accordingly, whichever way a thread extends with respect'to the thread catcher it has resented in its path numerous sharp teeth. his strip of card clothing constituting the thread catcher is fastened to the rear horizontal arm J, of a stationary holder, located in front of the lay, which has a bent forwardly extending arm K, having a horizon tal slot L, at its front end by means of which it is adjustably bolted to the depending arm H, which is vertically slotted at M, to receive the retaining bolt N. Accordingly, the thread catcher holder can be adjusted both vertically and in and out so as to occupy the proper position during the weft-replenishing action.

Fig. 3, shows the lay- A, at front center, that is to say, when it is substantially all the way forward, and at the position which it occupies when the transferrer C, has just performed its transferring action. At this time, the thread catcher is located within the discharge slot F, of the, lay and close to the rear wall of said slot, so that the nearly spent weft-carrier is discharged in front of the thread catcher, and the trailing weft end T, extends in front of the thread catcher, as illustrated in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 1, the thread catcher extends outwardly (to the right) approximately to a position immediately beneath the thread eye G, of the shuttle, and the forwardly extending bent arm K, of the thread catcher holder is located sufficiently to the right so as not to interfere with the downward discharge of the nearly spent weft-carrier. The roughened or toothed surface of the thread catcher extends a sufiicient distance parallel with the travel of the shuttle so as to insure catching hold of the trailing end of the spent weft before the shuttle on its first flight can carry the spent thread into the shed. The nearly spent weft-carrier having been discharged from the shuttle when the lay occupies the position shown in Fig. 3, the lay then moves backwardly (to the right, as shown in Fig. 3) thereby carrying the shuttle backwardly with it and, accordingly, drawing the trailing end T, of the between the rear side of the thread catcher and the lay, with resulting damage to the thread catcher. Accordingly, it is desirable to make the forwardly extending arm K, of

the therad catcher holder of thin yielding spring metal, as shown in Fig. 4. As the entire holder J, K, is preferably made of a single strip of sheet metal, the strip J, is likewise thin and yielding. As shown in Fig. 4, the front end of the holder where the slot 1, is located is reinforced by plates on either side so as to be securely held to the depending arm H. \Vith such a yielding holder no damage is done if a weft-carrier does get trapped between it and the lay.

The thread catcher can be used on a loom wherein the weft-carriers are changed in case the weft breaks or is completely exhausted, since, should the replenishment occur when the weft breaks, the ejected partly-filled weft-carrier may have a trailing thread which is in danger of being carried'into the cloth.

I claim-- 1. A loom for automatically replenishing the weft in the working shuttle having, in combination, a lay; weft replenishing mechanism; and a thread catcher beneath the shuttle box at the replenishing side of the loom having an extended area of numerous sharp teeth to catch the trailing thread of a discharged weft carrier, whereby, whichever way a thread extends with respect thereto, the thread catcher presents numerous teeth in its path.

2. A loom for automatically replenishing the weft in the working shuttle having, in combination, weft replenishing mechanism; a lay having a slot in the bottom of the shuttle box at the replenishing side of the loom; a yielding thread catcher holder below the shuttle box at the replenishing side of the loom; and a thread catcher on said yielding holder having an extended area of numerous sharp teeth to catch the trailing thread of a weft carrier discharged through the said slotted bottom, whereby, whichever way a trailing thread extends, the

thread catcher presents numerous teeth in 

